Taiko: Drum Master

This article is about the video game released in North America. For the video game series, see Taiko no Tatsujin.

Taiko no Tatsujin: Taiko Drum Master
Developer(s)	Namco
Publisher(s)	Namco
Series	Taiko no Tatsujin
Platform(s)	PlayStation 2
Release date(s)	NA October 26, 2004 JP 2005
Genre(s)	Musical rhythm
Mode(s)	1-2 Players
Rating(s)	ESRB: E
Media/distribution	Optional Disc

"Taiko: Drum Master" (English title), also known as "Taiko no Tatsujin" (太鼓の達人) is a drumming game for the Sony PlayStation 2 based on the popular Japanese arcade game. A drum simulating the taiko is played in time with music. It is made by Namco. The home version can be played with a TaTaCon, a special controller which looks like the face of a Taiko drum. Players control one of the two main characters - WadaDon, a red-faced and blue body taiko, and WadaKatsu, a blue-faced and red body taiko.

Graphics

The graphics are 2-D, with cartoon-like feel. Cut scenes show the adventures of the animated taikos and their friends.

Characters

Main article: List of Taiko no Tatsujin characters

Gameplay

Symbols moving horizontally along a timeline show what to hit and when. Home versions distinguish single and double strikes, arcade versions hard and soft strikes.

Successful play builds up a life meter. If the meter is past a certain point by the end of the song, the song is passed.

In the Japanese version, subtitles under the symbols give the pronunciation of the sounds (for example, "do don do don") using a traditional system called kuchi shoga (口唱歌).

Despite the game's cute and childish appearance, many players find the game quite difficult to master. Players need to accomplish 75% of the drum chart to pass, which can be very challenging on harder levels.

Music

Music in the Japanese version includes J-pop, anime music, western classical music and traditional Japanese Festival Music. The North American version removes some of these genres, changing them to American cartoon themes, a few NAMCO originals and mainstream American hits like The Loco-Motion by Kylie Minogue is also included in Australian versions.

Notes

The home version also has two mini-games, the "100 meter dash", played by drumming as quickly as possible, and the "Boston marathon", where the player must keep a regular beat in order not to tire out the taiko athlete.

The home versions include a few more games.

WadaDon and WadaKatsu, the characters of the game, are named after the sounds a taiko drum makes when you strike the surface or the side of the drum respectively. Coincidentally, "katsudon" is also the name of a Japanese pork dish.

• Don: Hit the center of the taiko.
• Kat: Hit the edge of the taiko.
• Yellow: Drum roll to use it.
• Large notes: Use Both sticks.
• Burst note: Drum roll to pop it.

North American release track listing

Pop and rock

1. "ABC" by The Jackson Five
2. "American Girls" - by Counting Crows
3. "Are You Gonna Be My Girl" - by Jet
4. "Girls and Boys" - by Good Charlotte
5. "I'm a Believer" - by Smash Mouth
6. "Killer Queen" - by Queen
7. "Lady Marmalade" - by Labelle
8. "Love Shack" - by The B-52s
9. "Material Girl" - by Madonna
10. "My Sharona" - by The Knack
11. "Slide" - by The Goo Goo Dolls
12. "That's the Way (I Like It)" - by KC and the Sunshine Band
13. "The Impression That I Get" - by The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
14. "Toxic" - by Britney Spears
15. "Tubthumping" - by Chumbawamba
16. "Walking on Sunshine" - by Katrina and the Waves.

Anime/TV

1. "Dragon Ball Z Theme Rock the Dragon" - by Shuki Levy
2. "Jimmy Neutron Theme" - by Bowling for Soup

Classical

1. "Symphony No. 5" (Beethoven)
2. "Carmen Prelude" (Bizet)
3. "Foster's Medley"
4. "Hungarian Dances No. 5" (Brahms)
5. "Symphony No. 25 in G Minor" (Mozart)
6. "William Tell Overture" (Rossini)

Namco original

• "Don Rangers" (heard in a small portion from a cutscene in Katamari Damacy)(10 crowns to unlock)
• "Brave Sword, Braver Soul" (from the arcade fighting game Soul Calibur II)
• "Dragon Spirit" (from the Dragon Spirit arcade game of the same name)
• "Katamari on the Rocks" (theme song from the PlayStation 2 game Katamari Damacy)
• "Ridge Racer" (from the Namco racing game of the same name) (15 crowns to unlock)
• "Taiko March" (combination of several songs from arcade games such as Sky Kid and The Tower of Druaga, all of which are Namco titles) (5 crowns to unlock)
• "The Genji and the Heike Clans" (from the Japanese arcade game Genpei Tōma Den) (20 crowns to unlock)

Japanese release track listing

Pop

• I'm A Slave 4 U
• I Was Born To Love You
• American Girls
• We Will Rock You
• ABC
• Girls & Boys
• Killer Queen
• The Impression That I Get
• That's The Way (I Like It)
• The Loco-Motion
• Slide
• September
• Tubthumping
• Material Girl
• You Can't Hurry Love
• Love Shack
• Lady Marmalade
• Walking on Sunshine

Children's Song

• Alphabet Song

Classical

• Beethoven's 5th Symphony
• William Tell Overture
• Carmen Prelude
• Classic Medley (Rock Version)
• Symphony No. 25 in G Minor
• Hungarian Dances No. 5

Namco original

• Soulcalibur II Brave Sword, Braver Soul
• The Genji and the Heike Clans
• Ridge Racer
• Taiko March
• Mojipittan Medley
• Don Rangers
• Katamari on the Rocks
• Dragon Spirit
• Saitama 2000

Difficulty

The following difficulties are included. Clear all songs in any mode to unlock a happy ending movie.

• Easy - Represented as cherry blossom flowers.
• Normal - Represented as bamboo shoots.
• Hard - Represented as a pine tree bonsai.
• Oni - Represented as a demon, 25 crowns in hard to unlock.
• Ura Oni (Inner Oni) - Represented as a demon purple in colour, get 99999 hits on the drum counter to unlock.

PSP version

Rather than using an external Taiko drum, the PSP version makes use of the D-pad and action buttons as well as the shoulder buttons which control the rim shots. The analog stick is also get used to perform a tambourine bonus. The PSP version includes the original gaming mode as well as a variety of minigames and a modified AD Hoc mode dubbed, communication mode. While in Communication mode, you can play the game with up to four other PSP gamers. There are currently no plans to bring the original Taiko Drum Master for the PSP outside of Japan.

Bonus

• The game comes with a Taiko controller with drumsticks and it is plugged into the PS2 console.

See also

• Taiko no Tatsujin

External links

• GameSpot review of Japanese version
• GameSpot review of US version